Tranquillity, Serenity, Calm (Otio)

Taking a couple of well known stereotypes – a fat cat politician and a scruffy tent-dwelling anarchist, ‘Tranquillity, Serenity, Calm’ attempts to deconstruct the lines separating the two and reach a political, social and moral balance. It’s a good, if unoriginal, aim for satire. The problem here is that the play itself really doesn’t deliver; beyond a few funny exchanges between the two characters, there isn’t much to it, and the problem can mostly be put down to a lack of focus throughout. It’s a farce, and also tries to make valuable points, but in trying to walk the political middle ground and insult both sides, it ends up torn and without enough bite or investment in either.